Door operating mechanism



Jan. 19, 1937. R. H. GREEGOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l r J ATTOFMFKS' Jan. 19, 1937.

R. GREEGOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 16, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A T TOR/YE YS Patented Jan. 19, 1937 PATENT OFFICE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Ralph H. Greegor, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to General Door Company, Reno, Nevada, a corporation of Nevada Application August 16, 1934, Serial No. 740,133

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in doors, and has for its object to provide means to prevent the accidental and unintentional closing of doors.

It is an object of this invention to provide, in connection with doors, means for opening and closing doors, together with means for preventing the sudden closing of a door in the event that the door-operating mechanism becomes detached from the door.

It is an object of this invention to provide a folding door composed of two sections, one pivotally supported and the other operated for moving the door from a closed position to an open position, together with means to prevent the movable section of the door from dropping or unintentionally closing.

It is particularly the object of this invention to provide, in connection with a movable door, a plurality of cables for moving the door, and means for preventing the dropping of the door in the event that the cables break.

These and other advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in elevation a door constructed according to the present invention, with parts of the door broken away.

Figure 2 is a. section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 Figure 4.

The present door-operating mechanism may be used in connection with doors of various forms, but is particularly well adapted for use in connection with doors that slide vertically, or a folding door composed of two sections, one of which is pivotally supported by some fixed object and the other of which has thereon the present door stopping and supporting mechanism.

In the present illustration the door-operating mechanism is shown in use in connection with a wall I of a building. This wall has therein the usual passageway 2, which in the present instance is closed by means of a sectional door which has a lower section 3 and an upper section 4 hinged to the lower section by means of hinges 5. The upper section has attached thereto a plurality of straps 6. In the present instance there are two of these straps, each of which has at its upper end a loop I through which a pin 8 extends for supporting the door on a bracket 9. There are two of these brackets, one at each side of the doorway and above the doorway.

These brackets support a shaft Ill, which extends horizontally above the doorway and has on each end, without the bracket, a spiral drum H. To each drum one end of a cable [2 is attached. Around the shaft i E3 is a coil spring l3, connected at one end to the shaft and at the other end to a barrel M which incloses the spring and substantially all of the shaft Iii between the brackets 9. This barrel is attached at one end IE to one of the brackets 9. On one end of the shaft, without one of the brackets 9, is a gear I6 engaged by a pinion l i mounted on a shaft I8 supported by the bracket. This pinion ll is engaged by a pinion l9 mounted upon a shaft 28, also supported by the bracket.

This shaft 28, in addition to the pinion l9, has

thereon a sprocket 2|, keyed to or cast integral with the pinion l9 and engaged and operated by a sprocket chain 22, which extends down one side of the doorway adjacent the wall. The bracket is provided with guides 23 for guiding the sprocket chain and holding it in position on the sprocket.

The lower section of the door is provided, on each side, with a latch 2t. On the wall on each side of the doorway and adjacent thereto is a trackway and guide. These trackways serve to guide the door as it moves to and from a closed position, and serve as runways for rollers on the door, and for engagement by parts of the door to prevent its outward swinging. These trackways and guides are formed by means of a plurality of angle irons. One trackway will be described since the two are identical.

One of the angle irons has an arm 25 attached by some suitable means to the wall, and another arm 26 extending from the wall at right angles thereto, to be engaged by one edge of the door. A second angle iron has an arm 2'! attached to the arm 25 by means of screws 28. This second angle iron has an arm 29 extending away from the wall, and has attached thereto, by means of a rivet 36, an arm 3i of a third angle iron, which has extending therefrom an arm 32 provided with elongated holes or slotted holes 33. The arm 32 extends toward the arm 26 and is spaced from and substantially parallel with the arm 21 of the second angle iron. The arms 21 and 32 form a channel, the purpose of which will be later described.

At the lower end and at each edge of the section 3 of the door is a plate 34, attached thereto by means of bolts 35. To each plate is attached one end of a pin 36. Each pin has thereon a roller 31. These rollers are adapted to travel in the trackways for guiding the door as it moves to and from a closed position. Each pin has thereon, adjacent the roller 31, a casting 38. This casting is pivotally mounted on the pin and serves as a catch member and also as means for attaching the cable to the door.

The upper part of each casting is formed into an arm 39, which has thereon an outward extension 40, which is adapted to receive an eye-bolt M, to which one end of one of cables I2 is attached. This extension 46 is also provided with a weight 42. Extending downwardly and laterally in a direction opposite the extension 40, is a dog 43 adapted to fit in any one of the elongated or slotted holes 33, or otherwise engage the arm 32.

Around each pin 36 is a coil spring 44, which has one end attached to the pin by means of a small pin 45, while its other end is formed into an arm 46 which engages the arm 39. This spring acts upon the casting or catch member to force the dog 43 against the arm 32 so that it will enter any one of the elongated or slotted holes 33, or otherwise engage the arm 32.

Extending rearwardly from the main body of the casting or catch member and substantially at right angles to the arm 39 is an arm 41, which has thereon a lug 48 which fits in the channel formed by the arms 2? and 32. These lugs engaging the arms 32 will prevent the lower end of the door swinging away from the wall, and will also serve to hold the door in such a position that the dogs will engage the arm 32.

There are two instrumentalities tending to force the dogs into the holes. These are the spring M and the weight 42. This tendency is counteracted by the cables l2. These cables are attached to the door by means of the castings or catch members. Just as long as the cables are tense the dogs are held out of engagement with the arm 32. As soon as any cable breaks the casting or catch member to which that cable is attached immediately tilts, throwing the dog in position to engage the arm 32 or enter one of the elongated slots, thereby stopping the door and holding it in a fixed position until the door is elevated and the dog removed.

When the door is closed it is opened manually through the operation of the sprocket chain 22. This chain, through a train of gears, causes the shaft, with the drums thereon, to rotate. The rotation of the drums causes the cables to be wound, thereby raising the lower end of the door. This operation is continued until the door is raised to the position shown in Figure 2 in dotted lines. Should the cables break, either during the raising or the lowering of the door, the castings by which the cables are attached to the door act as safety devices to catch the door and prevent its falling.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of my claims and my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a door mechanism, a door composed of a plurality of transversely pivoted sections, a pin on each side of one section, a roller on each pin, a trackwayhaving a flange and having a part thereof adapted to be engaged by the roller, a latching member pivotally mounted on each pin adjacent the roller, said latching member having thereon a latch to engage the flange of the trackway to support the door, means comprising a spring attached to the latching member and to the pin and a weight on the end of the latching member opposite the latch for urging the latch toward the flange, means on the pin arranged to engage one side of the flange and to hold the latch in close proximity with the other side thereof, and means connected to the latching members to move the latches from the trackways and raise the door, said spring being adapted to constantly urge the latching member toward latching posi tion and cause the weight to exert thereon a force of increasing moment. i

2. An article of hardware comprising a base plate, a pin mounted on said base plate, a roller on said pin, a latching member pivotally mounted on said pin, a latch on the latching member, a projection on the latch arranged to extend around to the opposite side of a latch-receiving member and to hold the latch in close proximity thereto, and yielding means arranged to urge the latch in one direction comprising a spring surrounding said pin and having one end attached thereto and the other end attached to said latching member and a weight on the end of said latching member opposite said latch, said roller being arranged ber yielding means comprising a spring surrounding said pin and having one end attached thereto and the other end attached to said latching member and a weight on the end of said latching member opposite said latch arranged to urge the latch in one direction, said latching member having a hook-shaped projectionin addition to said latch, said projection being arranged to hold the latching member in close proximity with a guideway engaged by the latch, said spring being adapted to constantly urge the latching member I i toward latching position and cause the weight to exert thereon a force of increasing moment.

RALPH H. GREEGOR. 

